The Way It Could Be
by Quinis
Summary: For noiproksa's prompt on Collar Corner. A one-shot, canon AU in which Neal is Peter's son. Spoilers for the fourth season and the start of the fifth season.
1. Chapter 1

Prompt from **noiproksa**: Canon AU in which Neal is Peter's son. (Maybe Neal is about 5 years younger in this AU than in canon, or he forged his birth certificate, so that Peter wouldn't have been a teenage dad.) Neal knows that Peter is his father, but Peter doesn't. I'm totally stealing the fic idea from **serenphoria**'s**Know Me (Not)**, but the fic has apparently been abandoned and the author said she never planned on Peter finding out anyway. What I'm looking for here, though, is exactly that: How Peter finds out and the reaction to it.

**Slight spoilers for season 4: also AU**

The title refers to the face that this is an AU story. It's what could have been but wasn't.

* * *

The Way It Could Be.

* * *

It had been a one-night stand with a girl at a party, well, sort of. His friends had forced him to come, a kind of farewell before he set off on the path to become a famous baseball player. She had been looking for a wild night.

They met, drunk and got a little wild. This was before he became an upstanding citizen of the law and under-age drinking was the norm where he lived.

They were friends for a while afterwards. He helped her get a job so she could save to become an artist. She taught him how to talk to girls, or tried. They watched movies together and tried to set each other up with their friends. Neither of them ever regretted what happened the night they met. They may have lost their virginity, but they both thought they gained a life-long friend.

However, a few months later, she vanished. He parents had her move in with her aunt. Every time he asked where, they gave him a different answer and kindly warned him away from her. It was weird, but nothing time couldn't make him forget.

He still has one of her paintings hanging on his bedroom wall, even though he's married now. El doesn't mind.

But, sometimes, he wonders how she's doing and why she left.

* * *

She left because she was pregnant. She hadn't wanted to ruin his blossoming career in baseball, although she figured he could be anything he wanted to. A baby would have ruined his life. She knew he would have quit school to help her look after it and he would have done that for her and the child. He was a nice guy and she couldn't do that to him.

So, she left. She married the first man who was okay with a young woman; who was barely out of her teens, having a young toddler.

That was the mistake, one she regretted for her whole life. He turned out to be a dirty cop and, even though he claimed to love her and her child, pushed them into WITSEC.

The kid grew up believing his father was a hero. When she spoke of his father, she spoke of the amazing man who; despite not loving her, gave her a child. However, she gave him the job of the man who betrayed her. She spoke of her wishes and, somewhere along the line, lost herself in them.

When her child found out the truth, and not from her, he yelled at her. Their fight would have lasted long into the night, if she hadn't suddenly blurted out that she had forged his birth certificate. Wait, she hadn't but her dirty cop did. He had wanted everyone to believe the child was his, so presented her with a forged birth certificate for her child the day they married.

She had thought it cute at the time, a sign that he wanted to stay with them forever.

"Then, who's my father?" her child demanded to know.

She didn't have an answer for him. So many years had past and she had no idea who her friend had grown up to be.

She gave her child the original birth certificate, still sealed in an envelope, which she had kept as a reminder of her friend and as a link to her past.

Somehow, she wasn't surprised to find him missing the next day. Her boy had taken on many of her traits.

* * *

When his mother first handed him the envelope, he didn't open it. He was scared to know who his father was. The man had gone from hero cop to dirty cop to a huge, empty unknown which was somehow worse than dirty cop.

Did his father know of his existence? He hadn't thought to ask his mother that.

Lost and confused, he kept the unopened envelope with him as he travelled to New York. He hoped that one day, he would be strong enough to open it.

* * *

The day he was, it was an ordinary day. No heists planned and no need to run just yet. Mozzie was off somewhere speaking to someone and Kate had asked for a few days space. He had been feeling alone when he spotted the envelope at the bottom of his bag.

Maybe seeking out some kind of connection, he finally opened it. It hadn't felt too much like a big deal; although butterflies fluttered in his stomach, until he spotted the name.

"No way." Denial was his first instinct.

There, in big, bold letters was the name 'Peter Burke'.

How many Peter Burkes were there anyway? It couldn't be the man who had been chasing him and making his life difficult.

Could it?

The next time they met, he managed to grab a bit of DNA. He didn't tell Mozzie who it was from but, asked the little man to run a paternity test.

When it came back positive, he didn't know what to think. So, he shoved the information to the back of his mind.

Besides, he and Peter lived in different worlds. They would probably never ever spend more than a few hours in each other's company.

* * *

After he was caught, jailed and then released on parole into Peter's custody, Neal didn't spend much time thinking about his father. Sometimes he would learn things about Peter and he would file them away along with all the other things he had learnt about his father. This happened a few times until he caught what he was doing.

And then there were the moments where he accidentally blurred the line, those father-son moments that the rest of the office cooed over.

Those moments terrified him.

It was increasingly obvious that Peter didn't know. Slowly, almost unconsciously, Neal began to compare himself with the upstanding law man that was Peter Burke. He didn't like what he found. He didn't think Peter would like it either.

He couldn't be an FBI agent's son. Not Neal Caffrey, master conman, thief and art forger.

And if anyone found out, not only would it ruin Peter's career; it would ruin his personal life.

Such thoughts terrified him at night.

Everything was fine the way it was.

Until Ellen died.

* * *

Peter looked up from his paperwork as Diana walked into the room. She held up a file and he nodded her in.

Always a smart woman, Diana locked the door before speaking.

"Sorry it took a while, Marshals can be stubborn."

"It's fine, I'm just glad you managed to get it." After Ellen died, Peter had started looking into Neal's mother. He had hoped to find out where she was staying and maybe take Neal to see her but, he hit walls no matter what he tried.

Then, one time when he was offloading his frustrations on her, El had suggested finding out her name before WITSEC. The idea had been to maybe track down Neal's grandparents, maybe a sibling, someone who Neal could connect with on a biological level.

He had Diana start on that right away. Pulling every string she could to find out the woman's original name.

And now he had it. He opened the file and felt the blood drain from his face.

It was her. Sure, he had known her name was Caffrey but, it was a common enough name.

Apparently not.

"Boss?" Diana questioned, sounding worried.

He snapped his head up.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks. You're dismissed." He might as well have raised a red flag that something was wrong. He could see the suspicion on her face but, thankfully, she knew when to leave.

He would face the questions later, as soon as he could wrap his head around this. Looking at the file again, his brain almost overloaded with questions.

She had to have had him as a teenager. Now he had an idea why she left.

But, then, who was the father? It can't have been the dirty cop Neal told him about. Peter checked Neal's birth date. If it was real, then he must have known her during the time she was pregnant.

Had it been one of his friends? Was that why she couldn't tell him?

It took him an amazingly long amount of time to reach a different conclusion. His brain kept telling him that it was impossible while simultaneously telling him that it made sense.

He quietly arranged a paternity test that very afternoon. At the very least, it would put all his worries to rest.

* * *

It had been the worse week of his life, the wonder and worry tearing at his very being. He was adjusting his world view; Neal Caffrey was his son?, while trying to remind himself that it probably wasn't true; he was just overreacting.

El thought it was cute. However, he didn't know what outcome she was hoping for.

He tried to take it one day at a time, the way she did. Even though, the whole office probably noticed that something was up.

And then, the results arrived. He couldn't bring himself to open it, instead opting to take it to lunch with El.

Neal had praised him on the way out; something about his workaholic self taking time to spend with the wife and good on him. He felt so guilty for not telling Neal about this.

He also wondered, did Neal know? The story about the dirty cop father suggested otherwise but, it was Neal.

In the end, El opened it. She stared at it for a long time, her head tilted to the side while he squirmed in his seat. Her face was blank, although her mouth twitched from time to time. It wasn't enough to tell him the result.

Finally, she placed it on the table, close enough for him to reach.

"Read it," she told him.

It was positive. He was elated; he had a son!, and confused; what was he supposed to do now?

"Invite him to dinner tonight," El suggested. He wondered what she saw in his face, that she added, "Peter, you can't keep this from him."

"I know," he responded, "but, what do I say? 'Hi, I'm your father'? And how do you feel about this?"

"I really don't know," El responded. She gave a slight laugh. "I certainly didn't expect this when I married you. But, Neal's a great kid."

Neal's a great kid. However, Neal was already an adult. Did he even need a father?

"For all that I've learned over the past few years, I feel like I don't know him at all," Peter lamented, placing his face in his hands with a groan. What kind of father was he? He had thousands of questions and no answers.

* * *

When Peter came back to the office after lunch with El, he had been skittish and almost as white as a ghost. And when he had invited Neal to dinner that night; El's orders, Neal was suspicious.

"Are you going to tell me what's up with you? Or do I have to guess?" he half-joked as he got into the car.

Peter didn't respond; he just started the car.

Neal fiddled with buttons. Asides from a weak; 'don't', he didn't get much of a reaction.

Something was really wrong.

"Is El okay?" he asked, beginning his guessing game.

"El's fine," Peter responded, sounding surprised. And then they were back to silence.

Neal hated silence.

When they entered the Burke's house, Neal found El sitting at an already set and plated dinner table.

"The little hens?" Peter questioned. Neal automatically corrected him but, Peter didn't seem to notice.

"Hun, it's okay," El encouraged. Now, Neal was really confused.

What was going on here? He felt like he was walking into the inquisition.

"You know, maybe I should go," he said, making for the door. Peter grabbed his arm.

"El made your favourite, so at least stay for dinner."

The silence was overwhelming and heavy with whatever was going on between Peter and El.

'Tell him,' he caught El mouthing to Peter a few times.

He was almost done eating; and would be free soon, when Peter put his utensils down.

"Neal, a few weeks ago, I started looking into your mother."

"What?" Now that, he hadn't suspected. Well, it wasn't like he would find anything. WITSEC wouldn't even tell him where they had moved her, and he was her son.

"Keep going," El encouraged when Peter clammed up.

"You might not know this, but I knew your mother in high school."

Neal nodded; both a 'yes' and a 'go on, I'm listening' gesture.

"There was this party and, I, uh, we-"

Oh. It suddenly clicked in Neal's head.

"You had sex," he said, trying very hard not to imagine it. Instead, he focused on teasing Peter, "you can say it, you know?"

"Uh, yes. And well, she left a few months later and I had no idea why."

"Until now," Neal prompted, feeling a stir in his gut.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go! Peter wasn't supposed to find out!

Yet, Peter nodded.

Neal let out a groan, much more subdued than the yell of frustration he wanted to make, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You know, don't you?"

And with that the tension seemed to switch. Surprise filled the room.

"Neal, you know?" El prodded kindly, "that Peter's your father."

Neal gritted his teeth and nodded. Nothing he had learnt over the years told him how to deal with this. So, he opted for a wait-and-see approach.

"When did you find out?" Peter asked. He wanted to yell, but everyone at the table could sense the delicate balance. If it broke, then Neal would be gone and trust would be broken.

"While you were chasing me. I received my original birth certificate the day I left and I didn't look at it until then. And I had Moz run a test, although he doesn't know."

"I ran a test too," Peter admitted, pointing at the envelope El brought out.

"I'm thinking we'll frame it," El joked, smiling at the two horrified looks she got. "Kidding. But, it is going in the family scrapbook."

"You have a family scrapbook?" Neal questioned in surprise. He felt a pang that he hadn't seen it and pleased that El was going to add information about him to it.

"El likes to collect up important photos, articles and information and put them in the scrapbook for safekeeping," Peter explained. The strain from before seemed to fade a little.

"It's a shame it won't fit on the page with that picture of Neal sleeping on our couch," El commented. It was a deliberate tactic on her part to lighten the atmosphere and it worked.

"Wait? What? When did you get a picture of me like that?" Neal questioned. His heart was lightened by the knowledge that he was already in the scrapbook, although confused as to when El might have had a chance to take such a picture. He was also horrified at the thought of anyone seeing such an image. He mentally sorted through every time he was over the Burkes' place, trying to figure out when it might have happened.

"I thought you deleted that photo." Peter sounded confused.

El looked at them with pity.

"Oh, boys. I never delete photos. Or burn them."

Peter and Neal shared a look. The same thought went through their heads. Did that mean she kept the pictures of Peter's moustache?

Slowly, Neal's face grew a smile while Peter's gained a horrified expression.

"Hun!"

"This I need to see," Neal decided.

"Now, Peter. Even if you weren't related, Neal's practically family." This, she wanted them to realise. Even though she was as confused and uncertain as they were, she was willing to try and keep things the same. "He has the right to see it."

"Score."

"I'm never going to live that down."

El brought out the family scrapbook and placed it on the, now clear, table. She looked at her two boys.

"Nothing has to change," she told Peter, wrapping an arm around her husband in a half-hug. She knew that Neal could hear them as he momentarily stopped flipping through pages as she spoke. "Neal's free to come here whenever he wishes and he's still going to a pain in your neck."

"Yeah," Peter agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

The Way It Could Be.

Chapter 2:

The turbulent emotions that drive us apart.

* * *

The whole office noticed something different. It was in the air, the atmosphere and stemmed from their favourite agent and conman.

At first, it was just Peter Burke who seemed strange. The agent walked around like he was on eggshells and he kept glancing at Neal. Then, something shifted.

It started the day the agent and conman were spotted walking into Hughes' office. Neal was reluctant, spouting numerous other things they should be doing. He even went as far as to claim; 'those mortgage fraud cases aren't going to solve themselves!'.

Peter was insistent. Standing behind Neal, he guided the other man the few steps to Hughes office.

They didn't come out until lunch break. Neal was oddly silent and Peter was oddly cheerful, complete with jokes no one wanted to hear.

It wasn't walking on eggshells any more, it was like waiting for a bomb go off.

Not even Diana or Jones knew what was going on.

* * *

Peter considered it official, he was a terrible father. And it didn't help that his son was already an adult and they had lost so much time.

He tried to talk to Neal, but the other man kept everything close to his chest.

He invited Neal out to play some baseball, just like his dad used to do with him, but Neal just declined. And the one time he agreed; thanks to El's soft prodding, he spent the whole time complaining and ended up going home with a bloody nose from getting hit in the face with the ball.

He invited Neal to lunch and dinner but the conversation didn't flow the way it used to, if the conman; no, his son, even came. The realisation that he needed El around just to have a conversation with Neal was disheartening.

And there was something bothering El too. He knew she thought he didn't notice but, she had been lethargic, withdrawn and didn't ask about Neal as much as she used to.

Neal was the same. So much that even the people in the office noticed.

Hughes told him to talk to Neal but, that never seemed to work.

* * *

Neal didn't fit. It was Peter and El, always had been and always will be. Their worlds consisted of each other and there was no room for anyone else.

But, Peter was his father. Peter. Father. There were two words he didn't want together.

Peter the friend was okay, for a Fed. They laughed, they joked, and Peter knew that they didn't like the same things. He was the sportsman and Neal was the artist. And that was okay. And Peter the friend came with El. Like a matched set. El was an amazing woman, a great person to know. Plus, she was married to Peter so wasn't distracted by his charm. For some reason, she seemed to like him for him.

Peter the father, on the other hand, was a nightmare. Joking was awkward. They second-guessed everything they said. And Peter tried to get him to like the same things he did. He was a sportsman and he wanted Neal to be too.

Why else would he practically force him to play baseball?

As a son, Neal was a disappointment. He knew that. It didn't take a genius to see.

When he met up with both the Burkes, El had to carry the conversation. And, sometimes, he would catch her giving him these sad little looks.

He hated those looks. It reminded him of the looks the kids in school used to give him. The 'poor Neal doesn't have a father so be nice' looks. But, now, it was the 'poor Neal, he's such a disappointment to his father' look.

Even the people in the office seemed to notice. When Diana jokingly asked him what he had done now; he's ashamed to say, he blew up at her.

"Because it's always got to be my fault, doesn't it?" he yelled at her, "I didn't even do anything!" He hated the unspoken 'this time' that seemed to hang in the air.

He hated how all he could do was mutter an apology and go to get coffee. Neal Caffrey, conman and master thief, unable to even control his own simple emotions.

God, he was a mess. He had never hated himself so much before. And, never had he regretted the path his actions took. Until now.

Because Neal didn't fit. It was Peter and El, always had been and always will be. Their worlds consisted of each other and there was no room for anyone else. A third person pushed in would only destroy everything. He didn't want to destroy anything, but he didn't know how to stop it.

* * *

El didn't fit. Sure, she was Peter's wife but she wasn't an agent. She didn't understand the cops and robbers world her husband lived in every day. But Neal could.

Neal Caffrey, Peter's son. It felt weird to her, how this man who had turned up on the doorstep one day, the man she had become friends with, could be the son of her husband.

She had known that Peter had slept with other women before they met. They had shared stories about how they each lost their virginity, so she had known about Neal's mother. But, to have the evidence stare her in the face, it was scary. A constant reminder of how she couldn't know everything about her husband. Not really.

And then she would feel guilty for her own feelings, because she knew that Peter and Neal probably had it just as hard. No, harder. She wasn't the one who had a long-lost relative.

She was just the third wheel. It hurt. It really did. What did this mean for her relationship with Neal? Did Neal expect anything of her? She didn't know whether to act like his friend or his mother.

Step-mother. She was Neal's step-mother. It took days for her to realise that. Days of Neal avoiding their place like the plague.

Like always, she missed him when he was gone. But, when he was there was so awkward that sometimes she would rather miss him.

And there was the guilt again.

Sometimes, she thought it might be better just to talk to Neal alone. But, she was scared. It felt like a betrayal to her husband.

During the times when she would be alone at the house; Peter spent a lot more time at June's while trying to bond with his son, she would take out the family scrapbook and scan its colourful pages.

In the pages before the paternity test results, there were pictures and articles with Neal in them. Neal laughing with Peter, Neal at one of her events with one arm around her and the other around June with Peter mock-glaring in the distance, the articles from the time he was accused of stealing that diamond and a few pictures Jones and Diana had sent her of Neal doing something silly at work.

Now, El didn't fit. It was Peter and Neal, at work as partners and at home as father and son. She was the third wheel, left at the side and forgotten.

* * *

And then Peter got hit by a car.

It was during his and Neal's investigation into Pratt. When she received the call from Neal that Peter had been in an accident, El didn't know what to do or what to think.

She rushed to the hospital and found Neal in the lobby with Diana standing next to him.

"How is he?" she asked, turning from one to the other in search of answers.

"He'll be fine," Diana assured her, "you can go in and see him."

El opened the door and took in a deep breath at the sight of her husband in the bed. He was all banged up and pale, sleeping in a place that smelled of antiseptic and only had a bed for one.

She shut the door and turned to Neal. She motioned for him to follow her as she entered the room.

She said things and he said things. El knew what Peter's job was like; she knew that this could happen.

Knowing and seeing were two different things. This could not happen again.

She told Neal to lie. To lie to his father in order to protect her husband.

And he agreed. It was horrifying and elating at the same time.

When he left, she followed.

With the emotions from before rushing through her veins; or possibly she was just too tired and emotionally drained to really think about what she was saying, she asked;

"Neal, why are you doing this? You know that Sam; James, whatever, isn't your real father. Why are so intent on helping him take down Pratt?" Why are you letting Peter get hurt for some man you don't even know?

Neal froze.

Without turning around, without looking at her, he responded;

"Everyone thinks he is. Even Ellen believed James Bennett to be my father."

"And what do you think?"

He sounded as tired as she felt.

"I don't know. El, I've lived most of my life without a father. I had stories instead. Just stories, nothing else. And those stories, I don't know who they describe. I don't know what they tell me." A sigh. "But, Ellen left me that box. I owe it to her to at least find out what is in it. And I need to know," his voice trailed off.

"Need to know what?" El prompted in her best 'motherly' voice, one she didn't even realise she was using.

"I need to know if, it was me," he mumbled the last part so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. "If it was because of me that James turned to crime."

A surge of protectiveness sparked through El.

"Why would you think that?" she demanded to know.

"Because, what if the first crime he committed was forging my birth certificate? What if it led him down a path he couldn't come back from?"

"Then that's on him," El said, her voice firm. Neal turned around in order to contradict her, but she continued speaking before he could say a word. "Neal, no one told him to forge your birth certificate. He didn't even have to! But he did. And that's on him. It had nothing to do with you."

Neal stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"I can't believe that. But, don't worry, I won't involve Peter."

El watched Neal leave, suddenly feeling like she made a mistake. But, she pushed that feeling aside. El could only try and protect one person in her life and that person had to be her husband.

Neal needed to do this, but he wasn't going to put Peter in danger at the same time.

* * *

After Peter's car accident, things changed again. Things seemed to go back to normal. The banter between their favourite agent and conman was back and they worked on cases like the awkwardness before had never happened.

Except, Neal would sometimes head home alone. And Peter would have meetings in his office with just Jones or just Diana or Jones and Diana.

The office was left wondering if this was the aftermath of the bomb, or a warning of things to come.

* * *

**Author note: **I liked this universe too much to not add some more (and I noticed others did to). So, now you get a longer story and more of a look at how everyone's handling the change. Until the office finds out, point-of-view will mostly be from Neal, El and Peter. I plan to write one after the office finds out which covers the events of these and future chapters from Jones' and Diana's views (with some Mozzie). Chapters will probably continue be in this writing style, because I feel it fits the theme and story the best, especially since the time-frame has it running alongside season 4 episodes.

I'm not recounting episode events too much because very little has actually been changed. Since, other than those directly involved (and Hughes), no one knows about Peter being Neal's father and they're keeping it under wraps for now. Neal hasn't even told James that he knows about the forged birth certificate (possibly hoping that James will tell him himself).

Anyway, hoped you enjoyed! Feel free to send me prompts of things you would like to see, if I can't put it in the main story, then I might do some extras at the end.

**Updates are whenever as I work on my NaNoWriMo this month.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Way It Could Be.

Events that drive us together.

Part 1

* * *

James Bennett took a step backwards. His gun level with Peter's chest.

It was a standoff.

"Don't do this," Peter said, trying once more to convince the man to stay and face the consequences for his crime. A few feet away, Terrence Pratt lay on the ground, blood staining his shirt and his life gone.

Peter couldn't, wouldn't let James walk away from this. But, he couldn't shoot him either.

Everyone thought he was Neal's father and Neal wanted to keep this image.

"You're Neal's father. Set a good example for him," Peter said. His chest burned with jealousy but, he thought Neal would want this.

James froze. His face twisted in an angry growl.

"Don't tell me you honestly believe that!" he raged. The gun shook in his hand. "Neal's birth certificate is fake!" There was silence after that proclamation. Peter didn't react and that tipped James off. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" His voice reverberated off the walls.

At first, Peter had thought he had said the right thing, the words which got James to stay. Now, he realised that he had pushed a button that shouldn't have been pressed.

Peter's silence only made James more enraged.

"He told me, that you've been more of a father to him than I have. You! Peter Burke, the man who can do no wrong. My wife would sometimes tell me stories about you. My wife! And the way she smiled at the kid, I knew I had to do something. I thought erasing your name from the kid's life would work. I gave him a life outside of your shadow!"

"And into yours," Peter responded, thinking about the things Neal had told him about his young life. James Bennett's actions pushed him into WITSEC and gave him a new name and identity. What Ellen told Neal about James Bennett had pushed him out of WITSEC and into a life of crime. It annoyed Peter just thinking about it.

And it was the wrong thing to say. James pressed the trigger.

It took Peter a moment to realise what had happened. There was a bang and he looked down. He hadn't felt the bullet enter his body but he saw the red blossom across his shirt.

"James Bennett, put the gun down!" Callaway ordered crisply. She entered the room a moment later with her gun held high and her badge clearly visible around her neck.

Those were the last words Peter would remember hearing as the ground rose up to swallow his vision.

* * *

Neal was waiting in his apartment when he got the call.

"Diana?"

"Bennett killed Pratt and shot Peter," she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "it doesn't look good."

"Peter," Neal mumbled; his first thoughts were for his friend and partner. "Does El know?"

"Not yet, Jones is going to pick her up," she paused. "Neal, you won't be allowed to visit him at the hospital."

"What?" Why?

"Your father shot Peter." Neal wanted to say that he hadn't, that Peter was his father. But, he didn't have the right to say that. Not now. Not when he brought yet another dangerous person into Peter's life. "There are people; namely Callaway, who think you might want to finish the job." Now, that was ridiculous. But, there was no fighting with Diana, not when Peter was in trouble.

Maybe Mozzie could sneak him in as another patient or something.

"Did you arrest James?" he asked. If James Bennett had gotten away, Neal would make sure he didn't stay away for long.

"Yes. I'll be around to give you an update later."

With that said, she hung up. Neal clutched his phone until his knuckles went white.

Peter had been shot.

He threw up moments later.

* * *

El was getting ready for her dinner date with Peter when the doorbell rang. Hoping that it wasn't bad news; she would know if Peter was in trouble, right?, she opened it.

"Clinton." The junior agent stood on her step, looking very much like a naughty school-boy.

"Peter's been shot," he said, shattering her world. "I'm here to drive you to hospital."

El took a deep breath and tried to stay strong. Peter needed her.

Peter's been shot.

"Oh god." She felt like throwing up.

Instead of hurling, she grabbed her bag and phone. Satchmo had been taken care of, in preparation for their date and she could always call someone to look after him if she stayed at the hospital.

The thought of someone to watch Satchmo made her think of Neal.

"Has Neal been told?" she asked. She hoped that he had as she really needed someone by her side during this.

"Diana called him. He knows."

"Will he meet us at the hospital?"

To El's confusion, Jones hesitated. Instantly thinking the worst, she asked;

"Is Neal okay? He isn't hurt too?" What would she do if both of them were in the hospital? She didn't think her heart could take it.

Thankfully, Jones was quick to respond.

"No, Neal's fine. He's just not allowed to visit Peter while he's recovering."

"What?" That was the stupidest thing she ever heard.

"Neal's father was the one who shot Peter."

"How is that possible?" El said without thinking. How could Peter shoot himself?

"James Bennett killed Pratt and shot Peter."

Oh. Now El felt stupid. She had truly forgotten about James for a moment. Even though Peter and Neal acted like James had a place in Neal's life as his father, she could see that neither of them truly believed it.

It provided Peter with a reason to back off and not suffocate Neal with his fathering. This allowed Neal to breathe a little more and focus on something other than his blood relationship with Peter.

They had almost returned to their previous ways as partners and friends. El got to see her husband more often and Neal dropped by more often. So, she didn't interfere, even though she thought it would be better if more people knew.

El thought about Neal, alone in his apartment and waiting for news on whether his father was okay. She knew she couldn't allow that.

"Head towards June's, we're picking Neal up," she said.

"Neal's not allowed to visit," Jones repeated automatically, even though he didn't like it either.

"He's not visiting. He's going to wait in the lobby while I visit." She hoped that he would be okay with that. "Please, Clinton."

"Okay," Jones said, "we'll pick Neal up." Even though his voice was as flat as normal, a smile ghosted his lips. He liked this plan too.

* * *

Neal jumped as there was a knock at the door. Aside from Mozzie, who was currently photocopying the evidence before getting it to where it needed to be, he couldn't think of anyone who would be visiting.

"El?" He couldn't hide his surprise when he found Peter's long brown-haired, blue eyed wife standing across the threshold. "What are you doing here?" He thought she would be at Peter's side right now. She needed to be at Peter's side.

"I'm here to get you, now come on," she said, only hesitating a little as she spoke.

"Neal, do as the lady asks," Jones said when he looked to him for answers.

Neal grabbed his phone and his jacket and followed them out the door.

"Why are you here?" he asked El, trying to understand.

"You deserve to see him as much as I do," she said, "if they don't let you, you can at least stay nearby."

"Elizabeth's plan is for you to stay in the lobby," Jones informed him.

"Under the guise of emotional support for me," El added. Neal couldn't help wondering if it was a guise.

Maybe it was just hope that gave him such foolish thoughts. Hope that he and El would be able to turn to each other for emotional support.

He had to admit, her plan was good. At least he would be able to offer some kind of support and he would be as near to Peter as he could get.

"He's going to be fine," Neal assured her, seeing the tension radiating off El in waves.

"I know," El responded with a nod. She didn't speak again until they got to the hospital.

It seemed that either Jones or El had contacted Diana and told her that they were coming with Neal in tow, because she didn't seem the least bit surprised to see him there.

"Peter's in surgery. They're going to try and get the bullet out," she updated them.

"I'm going to go back and see what's happening with James Bennett," Jones said.

Neal couldn't help thinking this was his fault. He brought James Bennett into Peter's life, which ended with the agent shot and his wife grieving.

"El, I'm so sorry," he said, taking the woman into an awkward and loose hug.

"It's not your fault," she said into his chest, "it's James'. He pulled the trigger."

"And now he faces the consequences," Neal finished for her. He looked down at her and wondered just how she could be so forgiving. She didn't forgive everyone, he knew that, but she always seemed to forgive him.

They settled in for a long wait.

* * *

Once Peter was out of surgery, they allowed El to go in and sit with him. Neal, however, was still stuck outside with Diana watching over him.

They were stuck in their own thoughts and didn't notice Hughes storm through the entrance. Hughes noticed them instantly.

"Berrigan, Caffrey," he said once he was close enough.

They both looked up at the same time, with similar looks of surprise on their faces.

Neal's vanished first, his face settling into a neutral expression.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Diana asked.

"El's currently with Peter," Neal explained. He guessed that the retired agent was here to see Peter.

Hughes nodded at him before turning to Diana.

"Mind giving us a moment?" he asked her, "go check on Peter and El."

Diana nodded and left, only glancing back at them once. To her, Hughes was still the boss, even though he had been forced out of the job and into retirement.

"Sir?" Neal questioned, standing up. Hughes wanting to talk to him alone did not bode well, especially since Peter was in the hospital because of him.

"James Bennett was taken in for questioning," Hughes started, to Neal's confusion. He didn't know why Hughes was telling him something he already knew.

Neal didn't question how Hughes knew this. He knew that the older man had been with the bureau long enough to make contacts, contacts that would tell him enough about his old division.

"He's saying he shot Peter in self-defence." Neal snorted. He knew that wasn't true. Hughes, however, ignored him and continued, "he says he was afraid that Peter held a grudge against him because he forged Peter's son's birth certificate."

Neal felt his stomach drop, his world shatter and his vision tunnel.

"Bennett is not keeping your parentage a secret, Neal. He's being very upfront about it."

Neal sunk into one of the chairs. He felt the blood drain from his face and his breaths catch in his throat.

He didn't notice as Hughes sat down next to him. He did notice when the older man placed a calming hand on his back. He also heard him when he said;

"Don't worry. The precautions we took are still in place. There's nothing they can charge you or Peter with, nor will either of you lose your positions at the bureau."

Neal nodded and took deep breaths.

* * *

When Diana came in, El stepped out. She was okay with leaving her husband in the hands of his very capable team and she needed some time outside that tiny room. Peter was still on a ventilator with a tube stuck down his throat. On top of being pale and bandaged, it was a hard sight to bare. Despite how sick to her stomach it made her feel; how it reminded her how close she was to losing him, she stayed by his side because her husband need her support.

She walked down that hall, still seeing Peter attached to machines and out cold; she wouldn't even think 'dead to the world' because she was afraid for that outcome.

She expected Neal to be sitting calmly in one of the chairs or leaning against one of the wall, maybe even chatting to a nurse or doctor.

She didn't expect to see Neal, bowed in a seat and struggling not to panic with Reese Hughes keeping him calm.

"Reese!" The older man was a welcome sight.

"Elizabeth," he greeted, looking away from Neal for only a moment. "How's Peter?"

"They managed to remove the bullet and it didn't hit anything vital," she responded, "they'll see how he goes in the morning." Hopefully, they would remove the tube then. "What's wrong with Neal?"

"The office knows about Peter being my father, James is telling everyone," Neal responded, sounding dissolute.

El gasped. Even though Peter hadn't mentioned it, she assumed that having one's blood relative under your custody wouldn't be ethical.

"This changes nothing," Hughes informed her, "when Peter and Neal informed me of their blood relationship, we took some precautions."

El nodded, she remembered Peter telling her about this. Mostly, he just told her about all the fuss Neal made beforehand and asked her whether he made a good father.

"The higher-ups already know," Hughes continued, "and the parole board. They're convinced that keeping Neal with the father he didn't get to know during his childhood is beneficial to his rehabilitation. That having his father around now; setting a law-abiding example, is proving to have a positive effect on him which is why they are one of the most successful agent-CI teams."

"They were also convinced to keep it quiet," Neal mumbled, "in case it disillusioned other agent-CI teams. Apparently, I'm quite the success story."

For some reason, El didn't think this was entirely true. Sure, that's probably what the higher-ups thought but she didn't think that's why Neal kept it quiet. Instead, she was reminded of the child who didn't want everyone knowing their parent was a teacher. Others would think they were being shown favouritism and that every success was because that person was their parent. And the child would have to work even harder, just to make sure they didn't do anything which reflected badly on their parent. It made it hard to relate to others; something that Neal prided himself on.

El went and sat beside him. She pulled Neal into a half-hug which was uncomfortable in the plastic seats.

"Hush, you're meant to be my emotional support," she reminded him as she stroked her hair. She didn't know how to make it better but, she did know how to ease the pain; just for a little while. "That means staying by my side while my husband is in hospital. Work can wait."

"I think I'm supposed to go back to the office on Monday," he pointed out, in spite of her protests. He glanced over at Hughes for help.

"I'm sure Diana or Jones could put in for some leave for you," Hughes said, a rare smile gracing his features. "The office is going to be a mess for the next few weeks, since Callaway has made too many mistakes in the past few days."

"Good. From what Peter's told me, I didn't like her," El said as Neal calmed in her arms.

When his breathing returned to regular rhythm, she released him from the hug.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Aren't I supposed to ask you that?" he responded with a raised eyebrow.

Hughes coughed and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to check on Peter and then head off," he said, "I'll contact you if I hear anything else."

They both nodded and were left alone in the lobby. Well, as alone as one can be in a hospital lobby.

"El, I'm really sorry. I never thought James would."

"Stop apologising," she told him. She hadn't kept count, but she knew he had already apologised way too many times. "It's not your fault. You're as innocent as me in this."

He chuckled.

"I doubt that."

"If I hadn't told you to lie to Peter, then you wouldn't have turned to James," El said, "I've made mistakes too. All we can do now is hope Peter makes it through. Then, we can talk."

Neal nodded and left to get coffee. It was going to be a long few nights.

* * *

When Peter awoke the next day, El was right by his side. She smiled through tears, happy to see his large, walnut brown eyes looking at her again.

Tired and groggy, Peter didn't stay awake for long. And El didn't get to have much time in his company as nurses and a doctor flooded the room to do routine checks. It was still worth the hours of anxious waiting to be there when he first opened his eyes.

"I'll be right back, hun," she told him.

Her heart sung as he mumbled 'hun' back to her.

Outside, she found Neal sitting at the nurses' station just down the hall.

"He's awake!" she told him, smiling widely. Those few moments with Peter convinced her that he would be okay, that he would fight until he was completely healed. It didn't completely abate her worry and stress but, it was a step in the right direction.

Neal breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with relief. It was the first time he had smiled properly since he had gotten the news that Peter had been shot.

* * *

**Author's note: **This part of the story is turning out longer than I expected; which seems to be the norm when it comes to this fanfiction. I've cut it into parts, this is the first one. Peter gets shot, James confesses (but not to murder, no), Neal feels ill and El is worried.


	4. Chapter 4

The Way It Could Be.

Events that drive us together.

Part 2

* * *

It was great to be home. Peter took his first step back into his house in a week with Neal supporting him at his side and El holding the door open for him.

His wonderful wife kissed him on the cheek as he entered and Neal helped him to the couch. He was sore, his muscles were tense and moving often took more energy than it was worth. Every movement tugged at the injury in his chest and, at times, it was difficult to breathe. Also, his throat ached and his voice was croaky from his time in the hospital.

But, it was damn good to be home. The scent of something cooking on the stove wafted through the air. It was warm and made his stomach rumble.

"I think it'll be an early lunch today," El said with a giggle.

"Need any help?" Neal asked, already moving towards the kitchen.

"Not right now," El responded, "it just has to finish cooking."

Neal came back in with two glasses of water. One he handed to El and the other he held out to Peter.

"Aren't you being good today?" Peter commented huskily. During the past week, El had been telling him stories about how Neal was helping her out with things around the house and making sure she had nothing to worry about; aside from Peter's condition which was improving by the day.

Jones and Diana had been sharing shifts watching over Neal while he was at the hospital or Peter's house, both places outside his radius. Neal hadn't even been trying to lose them like he normally would.

Neal was behaving. For some reason, that scared Peter almost as much as almost dying had. At least his behaviour had made it easier for Peter to get his house cleared, once again, for Neal to visit without an FBI escort.

Peter looked up to see his son and wife chatting quietly out of hearing distance. They were plotting, he knew. It did not bode well for him.

He tried to escape, pushing stiffly off the couch into a standing position. He grunted as a slice of pain stung through his side.

The moment he made the sound, he was done. Two heads turned to spot him, blue eyes flared.

"Peter! Take a moment to rest."

"Hun! I know you need to exercise, but you just got home."

The two brown haired, blue eyed caregivers descended upon him. El fussed openly while Neal was a little more subtle about it.

If dropping onto the couch and asking to watch a game with him could count as subtle. El jumped at the idea and left father and son sitting on the couch watching the game.

Interestingly enough, when Peter awoke after nodding off for a while, it wasn't the game on the TV.

* * *

As per his usual routine for the past week, Neal arose early. He walked down to the kitchen, ready to make himself and El coffee, and froze at the sight of El cooking away.

"I don't think he can eat that much," he commented, looking at the plates of uncooked bacon, eggs and bread. El stood at the stove, cooking pancakes to add to a growing pile. "Maybe I should put some of this away."

El glared at him and was about to tell him to stop but, she paused and sighed.

"You're right. I just wanted everything to be normal."

"And that okay," Neal told her. He slung a hand over her shoulder, a move which comforted her but didn't make him uncomfortable. Neal didn't wrap El in hugs, because El was the only one able to execute hugs between them. It was one of the odd, unspoken rules between them. "But, El, I've seen a normal breakfast between you to and it didn't involve bacon and eggs, toast and pancakes all together."

As he spoke, he reached for one of the cooling pancakes.

El was fast. She intercepted his hand with her own, slapping him away from the food.

"Go wake your father while I put the rest of this away," she said, motioning towards the uncooked food.

Neal nodded and moved, not giving her or him time to really think about what she had said.

Go wake your father. Never had those words been directed at him. They had seemed to flow from El's mouth so easily that he was a little jealous. Since the office knew; although Jones and Diana hadn't mentioned anything yet, he knew he needed to get over freezing whenever someone referred to Peter as his father.

His father. He shook his head at the thought. It was nice, warm even, but he was still uncertain about his place.

"Something good happen?"

Neal looked up to find Peter standing partway down the steps, leaning heavily on the banister. There was a slight sheen of sweet on his forehead from exertion but his eyes sparkled and he was smiling. Neal shockingly realised that he was smiling in a similar way.

"Nothing really," he quickly responded, his heart rate jumping. He could walk out of a building with a priceless painting or spend a night with a princess without freaking out, but put him in a house with Peter; Peter's house, and suddenly he was freaking out every few minutes. Good thing he was very good at hiding how he felt.

"Then come help me down, before my wife sees," Peter said, holding out a hand for Neal to take.

They reached the ground floor just in time, as El came moving around the corner carrying a plate of pancakes.

"Oh, honey, you didn't have to," Peter cooed.

"I wanted to," she responded in an equally sweet tone.

Neal moved to take the plate from her and moved in the kitchen, eager to get away from their goo-goo eyes.

El called after him and then walked beside her husband as he made slow progress to the table.

"When did you become such good friends?" Peter asked. It was a question that had been bugging him since he woke up in the hospital. He thought it was nice to see his son and wife together but, he just didn't understand how they got so close.

"Neal's been helping out around the house for the past week," El said, giving him a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.

"Grow up, Neal," Peter said as Neal gave him a disgusted look. They both knew it was for play, mostly. And Peter already knew that Neal had a slight issue with real displays of emotion, especially outside of work, and especially when it came to Peter and El.

"I am grown up," Neal pointed out as he piled five pancakes on his plate.

Peter and El shared a look. His screamed 'he really thinks so?' and hers said 'he's your son'.

* * *

The good thing about being injured was that Peter could watch the game whenever he wanted. The bad thing was that, other than that, there were no good things.

Except worrying about Neal, who was acting rather odd.

"Neal, go get me a beer," Peter requested.

"Peter, you can't have alcohol." Suddenly, Neal seemed to care about the rules.

"Then a water." Lo and behold, Neal got up and brought him a glass of water.

Something was definitely up.

"Neal, what's wrong?" he asked, hoping that Neal would be easy on him for once and just tell the truth.

The younger man sighed and rocked back and forth on the spot.

"You know how James told the office we're related?"

Peter nodded. However, he couldn't think of any consequences of that, aside from the secret being revealed. Once he was healed and back in action, nothing was supposed to change.

"I may not have told Mozzie yet."

Peter groaned. Mozzie, of course! Peter couldn't even imagine the little man's reaction. And he didn't doubt Mozzie's ability to uncover secrets, especially when everyone else knew.

"You better tell him," Peter advised, "before he finds out on his own."

Neal shuffled a little. He was going to put it off as long as he could.

"Neal," Peter said in a warning tone.

"Okay! Alright! I'll call him!" Neal responded, pulling out his phone.

Peter kept his eyes on Neal as he spoke to Mozzie. Neal glanced over at him a few times, his eyes flickering with guilt.

"You invited him over," Peter commented when Neal hung up.

"I'm not going to tell him this over the phone."

Peter shrugged and took a sip of water.

"You better tell him before El lets it slip."

* * *

El tugged at her ear, moving closer to the window. She could only make out the blurry forms of Neal and Mozzie sitting on the patio outside. Twisting her head away from them and pressing it to the barely open window just allowed her to hear.

"El," Peter said in a warning tone. She turned to her husband; who was sitting at the dining table and sipping at a glass of water, and shushed him.

"Look, Moz, I didn't mean to keep it a secret." Poor Neal sounded so distraught. Her heart went out to him.

"A suit, Neal? And not just any suit. The Suit! Why?" At least Mozzie wasn't raising his voice, although he did sound disappointed.

"You don't get to pick your father," Neal responded, "and would you really prefer it if James was my father?"

"He's not the Suit."

"He shot Peter, Moz. He killed Pratt. He tried to con us and he's sitting in jail, telling everyone who my real father is."

"Well, when you put it like that," Mozzie responded. After a pause, he asked, "so, are you going to move into Casa del Suit now?"

"Seriously, Moz? What kind of 30-year old man lives with his parents?"

_Parents_. El was unprepared for the feelings that hit her when she heard that. Parents. No matter how differently he might say, she knew now that Neal thought of them as his parents.

She was so emotional, tears began to fall.

"El? What's wrong?" She waved Peter off as he began to stand up.

"He called us his parents," she responded, her voice thick with emotion and a wobbly smile gracing her features.

Peter's smile was brilliant and he positively glowed. He held out his arms and wrapped her in a happy hug as she sobbed happily.

"Yes, he's ours now," Peter told her, "and I promise you, we're never going to let him go."

El nodded and extracted herself from his arms, heading to the bathroom to clean her face.

* * *

**Author's note: **This chapter ends here. Next chapter:_ Three times Neal called Peter 'Dad'_, it flows on from here.


	5. Chapter 5

The Way It Could Be.

Three times Neal called Peter 'Dad'

* * *

The first time was because Mozzie, of all people, had told him to say it.

* * *

Neal sat on it for the first week Peter was recovering at home. At work, he would build up the courage; he would do it, he would do. The moment he walked through the Burke's door and laid eyes on Peter, all his courage would vanish.

It didn't help that he knew the office knew but, the office didn't know that he knew. So, most of the agents danced around the subject, even Diana and Jones. At times, it was frustrating. Other times, it was a relief. If he didn't confirm it, if he pretended to remain ignorant, then they couldn't use it against him. It was a blissful illusion that could only last so long but, he was going to draw it out as long as possible.

_Dad. _It was one word. Mozzie told him to say it to Peter, even if it was just in the Burke's home.

"Something wrong?" Peter asked, jolting Neal out of his thoughts.

"Nothing's wrong," he responded automatically, placing the file he had been reading back onto the table.

Peter eyed him the way he always did when he didn't think Neal was telling the truth.

"Really!" he said, hoping Peter; no, his father would believe him. It amazed him how difficult it was to think of Peter as 'dad'.

Peter was Peter and he didn't know how to change that. He didn't know if he wanted to change that. Even so, something was changing. He had said 'parents' earlier without even thinking about it and had liked it. He liked being able to say 'parents' and refer to people who were there, people he knew. Peter and El were people who were there for him, even after he messed up.

"There's some wine in the fridge, if you want some," Peter said.

Wine was a welcome distraction from his thoughts. He stood up and walked over to the kitchen, leaving Peter on the couch in the lounge room.

Neal had filled his wine glass; thank goodness El had better taste than her husband, and had been getting a beer for Peter out when there was a crash from the lounge.

"Peter," Neal stammered under his breath, instantly realising the source of the noise. He quickly ran back into the lounge to find Peter lying against the bookshelf with one arm held up and curled around a book still on the shelf and other books lying around him.

"Dad?" Neal called as he moved closer to Peter, shocked at seeing the other man so vulnerable. "You okay?" He couldn't understand what had happened. Was Peter more hurt than he seemed?

"Leg. Cramped," Peter groaned out, rubbing his free hand down the cramping leg.

Neal breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a leg cramp. Painful but, not deadly.

He took the book from Peter's hand and helped him back to the couch.

There was much complaining and it seemed like his little slip went unnoticed.

But, Peter had noticed. The word had shocked him so much that he hadn't been able to think of how to respond to it.

* * *

The second time was because Neal wanted to give Peter his forgiveness.

* * *

It had been a fight over nothing. Diana had been around, talking to Peter about a case, and when Neal walked in, they both went silent.

El had returned home right as Neal walked out the door.

"You just can't trust me! Even now!" he yelled. He was just short of pushing past her when his gentlemen side took over. "Excuse me, El," he said, shuffling by.

"Right, I'm going to go too," Diana said, packing up her papers.

El nodded as Diana left and then turned to her distraught husband. He was pouting on the couch, eyes staring at the television but not watching it.

She grabbed him a beer and handed it to him with a smile and a kiss.

"Want to talk about it?"

Peter sighed, a familiar sound when it came to anything related to Neal.

"Neal doesn't think I trust him."

El tried not to laugh. Trust issues were common between the two men and each time they acted like the world was ending.

"What happened to made Neal think that?" Peter was silent. "Peter?"

"I had Diana bring in some cold cases for me to work on," he admitted it slowly, as if admitting a great sin.

And, to El, it was a great sin. Peter was supposed to be resting, not working.

"Peter," she said in a warning tone.

He silenced her with five words, "Neal already gave the speech."

"The 'you are supposed to be resting' one?" she questioned. When Peter nodded, she added, "well, you do deserve that speech."

"Yeah," Peter said sadly. He did regret his actions, but he had been frustrated with boredom and Neal had come in, told him to stop working, and he lashed out.

Before he had known about Neal being his son, he would have told him that it was none of his business. Instead, he had spat; "shouldn't I be saying that you?", since Neal hadn't been telling him about work at all, avoiding the subject every time it came up.

"You need to apologise," El said plainly.

"What?" Peter's first instinct was to question why. El playfully scowled at him and stood there with her hands on her hips.

"We're going to June's," she said, "we'll join Neal for dinner, during which, you will apologise."

* * *

Neal was surprised to open the door and see El standing there with Peter standing behind her.

"We brought Chinese," she announced with a smile. "May we come in?"

He was shock as he moved out of the way to let them in. After losing his temper with Peter earlier, he hadn't expected to hear from them for a few days.

Peter only glanced at him a moment before looking away. Obviously, El had arranged this little outing and Peter was here for some reason; maybe to make sure Neal didn't try anything with his wife. It irritated Neal on some instinctual level, but he was careful to hide his irritation behind a neutral mask.

El placed the orders out on the table and pulled out the required utensils with some help from Neal. Neal pulled out the appropriate wine, pouring a glass for himself, El and Peter. He thought that Peter could go without beer for one night. It was a slightly spiteful move on his part, but Peter deserved it.

El gave him a look, like she knew what he was doing and slightly disapproved, but she didn't do or say anything.

Peter took the wine, scrunching up his nose slightly in distaste. Neal was surprised that he didn't say anything about it; he preferred to have beer while off the clock and Neal even kept a stock of fine imported beer for the times when Peter came to visit.

Conversation was light and not really about anything. Neal spoke about June and what she was up to. El spoke about her business and the latest demands some of her customers were making. Peter didn't initiate any conversation, he kept to commenting on what everyone else was talking about.

Finally, they finished eating and the awkward atmosphere they had been trying to ward off descended. Neither Peter or Neal had any idea what to say and they kept looking anywhere but at each other. El waited and hoped they would be able to work this out without her interference.

Peter cleared his throat, twice, but still couldn't decide on what to say.

Neal sighed.

"Look, I appreciate you coming out here but, it wasn't necessary."

Peter and El shared a surprised look.

"Why do you think we're here?" El asked, her eyebrows knit in confusion.

"To make sure I don't do anything stupid," Neal responded, as if it was obvious. He motioned around the apartment. "But, as you can see, I haven't done anything."

El shot a look at Peter, telling him to fix this. It had dawned on them both that Neal had gotten their reason for visiting all wrong and was beating himself up over his fight with Peter.

"That's not it at all," Peter finally said, "El made me come here in order to apologise to you."

Neal looked over to El, who nodded. It seemed to take a moment to sink in.

"You don't have to," Neal responded, not really looking at either of them. And before they could respond, he added, "Moz is coming around later, so-"

"We're not leaving yet," Peter said, sensing what Neal was about to say. "I was wrong and El was right in forcing me to come an apologise to you."

"You don't have to 'force' yourself," Neal responded, his voice growing in volume as Peter's did.

"I'm not! I just, I'm frustrated with how little I know about what's going on at the office."

"You have Jones and Diana calling you whenever something happens. And you have them sneaking files out of the office for you. Whenever I don't catch them," Neal grumbled that last part under his breath. He had been running cons on Jones and Diana whenever they tried to get files to Peter. They, in turn, had been getting smarter and cleverer in keeping him away from them when they head home.

El shot Neal an appreciative look and a glare at Peter. She had suspected but hadn't known for certain that Peter was getting work brought to him.

Peter sighed. The emotions flowing between them were working him up and tugging at his injury, making it hard to breath.

"Fine. I'll stop working until the doctor clears me," he said, giving in, "but, I still want Diana and Jones to call me with updates."

El smiled but Neal was still upset and he kept his mask firmly in place.

"Well, you'll have to tell them to stop bringing you cold cases," he said, "I don't think they'll believe me."

Neal had already tried that con on them a few days back, which had ended with a very angry El on the phone and her orders for Diana and Jones to go straight home and not visit Peter until the next day. And if Peter believed it to be a dig at their earlier argument, so be it.

"I'll call them later," Peter agreed with a sad smile and a nod. He could see the mask that Neal had in place and it bothered him. "Look, Neal, I'm really am sorry. I'd make it up to you with ice-cream and baseball in the park if I thought it would help."

El identified the horrified look on Neal's face and decided to intervene.

"How about ice-cream and art museum instead?" she suggested.

Neal perked up instantly, although part of the mask stayed in place.

"We'll have to wait a while," Peter said. And, although he sounded reluctant, he couldn't help agreeing when he saw the effect El's suggestion had on Neal. "When I get back to work, I'll be able to take Neal out of his radius again." He turned to Neal. "We'll go somewhere outside of your radius, as a special treat, that okay?"

Neal was certain his heart stopped for a moment. Was Peter serious?

"No baseball?" he questioned hopefully, just to make sure.

"No baseball," Peter confirmed.

Neal smiled a real smile this time and not the mask. It was the kind of outing he had imagined; back before he knew who his father was, and something that he had secretly hoped for since.

"Well, what do you think?" Peter prodded when he didn't respond.

"I think you might make the best dad I've ever had," Neal said, the words spilling out only slightly filtered. Imaginary and false fathers counted to Neal.

Both Burkes raised eyebrows at this. It was an odd response but, somehow completely Neal.

"Well, I'm not in jail," Peter pointed out, in a lame attempt at a joke.

"At this point, even if you were in jail, you'd still be the best," Neal responded, "and Mozzie would help me break you out."

"Oh no," Peter said, even as El started laughing. "You're not breaking me out. If I land in jail, you clear my name, you got it?"

"Yes, dad," Neal responded, faking chastised.

* * *

Although he had technically said 'dad' to Peter three times, Neal counted the night Peter and El came around for dinner as one.

The time he considered to be the third time, took place in the office.

* * *

Peter came back to work six weeks after he was shot. One week in the hospital and five weeks at home before he was cleared to return, although he did work from home the last week.

He was offered Hughes' old job and after a night of contemplation, he took it. After getting shot by James, he couldn't help thinking about what would have happened if he had died. El still had trouble sleeping because of it and Peter had seen only a fraction of the worry and guilt Neal carried. It was time for a change and he felt ready for this promotion.

Plus, things had changed between him and Neal. Or maybe he was only now becoming aware of it. Peter didn't think he could ever arrest Neal and this disqualified him from being Neal's handler, even if it was just in his head.

Neal hadn't taken the news well. And the news that came in the next day; James had been released with both shootings regarded as 'self-defence', hadn't helped.

* * *

An agent from DC came over to help 'wrap up' the Pratt-Bennett case. He was middle-aged and recently divorced; there was still a tan-line on his ring finger, his hairline was receding and he kept insisting that he didn't need glasses, even though he squinted and held reports at arm's length.

Most of the office didn't like him, especially because anytime he was in the same room as Neal, he glared at him.

"So, how does it feel, to have a murder for a father?" he had asked, once he managed to corner Neal alone by the coffee machine.

Neal raised his eyebrows at this and realised that the news that he was really Peter's son hadn't travelled outside the New York offices.

"I'm sorry to say, you've been misinformed," he said, as politely as he could, "James Bennet isn't my father."

The agent just gave a bark of laughter. Obviously, he thought Neal was disowning the man.

"No honour among thieves, huh? I guess that extends to murdering fathers and conman sons."

Neal caught Diana's gaze as she silently asked him if he needed assistance. He gave her a small headshake, 'no,' in reply.

"I don't know," he said, walking up the stairs towards Peter's office; which he was still stuck in until the paperwork for the new job went through.

The agent followed him.

"I need to see Agent Burke," he announced, almost pushing past Neal and spilling the coffees Neal was carrying.

Neal plastered on his most charming smile as he guided the agent to Peter's office door.

"And I need to give Agent Burke his coffee," Neal said. He knocked on the door and let himself in.

Now, it was just a wait. No matter who spoke first, Neal had already planned how this would end.

"I can't believe you kept him here," the agent scolded as he sat down. "What if he helped his father escape the charges?"

Peter looked over at Neal with a suspicious look. Neal shrugged and placed the coffee on the desk.

"I guess I could help him escape," Neal commented. He turned to Peter before either agent could respond. "So, dad, are we still on for the museum this weekend? Maybe escape work for a few hours?" he asked. It was smooth, mostly because it was Neal speaking, but it was obvious why he was saying it; to get under the DC agent's skin.

"I did promise you a museum trip," Peter said with a sigh, going along with Neal's plan. He hadn't liked the way the DC agent had glared at his son. "Why don't you call El and we'll make it a family outing?"

Neal nodded and left. The door wasn't even closed before the DC agent started spluttering and protesting and demanding to know what was going on.

"Caffrey," Diana said in a warning tone, crossing her arms over her bulging stomach.

"Has Peter seen that yet?" Neal asked, knowing that Diana had stopped visiting the injured Peter after she announced it to the office. 'Knowing it and seeing it were two different things', as Peter had said at dinner the night he first went back to work.

It was a classic misdirect. She knew that and he knew that.

She glared at him for a few more moments before sighing.

"He did deserve that," she relented.

Most of the office had heard his discouraging remarks to Neal. Some had even seen it as a personal attack on Peter. Others, like Jones, weren't impressed with the DC agent's ability. In their opinion, he should have known already. While the rest of the building didn't know for certain; Peter had confirmed it for the White Collar staff while Neal watched on like a scolded child, it was still a really big rumour.

"So, are you going to change your name to 'Neal Burke'?" Jones asked. Thankfully, Neal had already moved past the phase where everyone knowing about his relationship to Peter was uncomfortable. It seemed like, the more people who knew and accepted it, the better he felt about it. Peter was the same. "It'll stop this kind of misunderstanding from happening."

"Not happening," Neal responded with a smile and a laugh. "'Neal Burke' is kind of lacking in _je ne sais quoi, _according to Mozzie. And do you know how much work goes into changing your name?"

"I would imagine less than creating an entirely new identity," Diana drawled.

"More, actually," Neal responded.

"'Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day'," Jones responded, hitting the nail on the head. Neal liked creating new identities to play with.

"Don't say that around Mozzie," Neal warned right before Peter walked over to their little group.

"Now, what's going on here?" he asked, complete with hands on hips.

Jones quickly excused himself to go work and Diana was close behind.

"Come on, Neal," Peter said, "we've got a gold coin robbery to look into."

"Ooh, sounds fun."

"I hope so," Peter responded with a fond smile as they walked up to the conference room. "And, if El has anything to say about it, you'll be Neal Burke-Caffrey."

Neal groaned, his good mood dissipating almost instantly. Additionally, his mind was already coming up with ways to change El's mind.

It would be Caffrey-Burke, just to mess with Peter.

* * *

** Author's notes:** Sorry this took so long. Nanowrimo really took up a lot of my time during those last few weeks (plus I had a job interview; which I failed *sigh*). Jones' quote is sort of from Confucius; just changed a little.

I think there's only enough for one more chapter (the office reaction during these events) which might be a while in coming.

* * *

And a little **background stuff** that wasn't really part of the story:

Hagen helped James Bennett out because he was keeping track of the cases Neal was involved in. They are also blackmailing Mozzie (James managed to find out a lot about how Mozzie worked while working with them), who helped Bennett with the gold coin heist. Neal will get dragged in when Hagen asks Mozzie to break into the FBI to destroy the evidence; Hagen heavily suggests that they have a mutual acquaintance that has free access to the FBI (Neal). And Neal will do anything to help Moz.

Hence, season five plays out similarly to the way it does on TV (so far).


	6. Chapter 6

The Way It Could Be.

The Office.

* * *

Diana knew when it really started. Even though everyone else believed that it had happened the day Peter dragged Neal into Hughes' office, she knew it started the day she handed Peter the file on Neal's mother. Not that she told anyone.

She had seen Peter's face pale and the way his hands trembled. After he dismissed her, she checked her copy of the file. Again and again. She just couldn't figure out what had upset her boss so much.

The only conclusion she could draw was that it was personal in some way.

* * *

Neal wasn't the same. He didn't seek out Peter; it was the other way around. He smiled, but it was the conman smile which was just too shiny and too fake. He joked a little more, misdirected a little more and kept his head down at his desk.

"You think Neal stole something?" one of the agents suggested around the water cooler. Everyone looked to Jones and Diana, but neither of them had heard of any incidents outside of the ordinary.

Diana couldn't forget it, so she asked. She even made it a joke, in order to make him feel a little more comfortable.

"Because it's always got to be my fault, doesn't it?" he snapped, "I didn't even do anything!"

Everyone around them froze and all eyes went to them. Neal never yelled in the office, never let the conman mask drop for a moment. They waited for Diana's reaction, well aware that she might just respond in kind.

She seemed too shocked for words. Same for Neal. His blue eyes grew wide and he pulled his hat down a little more, like a shield against the world.

"Sorry," he said in a soft voice that only the nearest agents could hear. That didn't stop others from slowly moving closer or trying to read his lips; which his hat and the angle made difficult. "That was out of line. I apologise. Excuse me."

He ducked out of the offices at a quick walk. As soon as he was on the elevator, sound returned to the White Collar offices as everyone tried to understand what had happened.

Diana ducked into Peter's office; under the guise of reporting Neal's departure, just to get away from the other agents.

The nature of the agent is one which is always looking for more information.

* * *

Theories and rumours flew. No one could really pinpoint what caused the change which had strained Peter and Neal's relationship. It was more tense than their first year together, when Neal was worried about the FBI playing an angle and Peter was worried about Neal running. It was the reverse of the Nazi treasure explosion; where Neal had tried to get close to Peter and Peter kept dodging Neal. It wasn't even like after Elizabeth's kidnapping; where Peter and Neal could work together but had trouble doing much besides that.

Could it have been Ellen's death? Was Neal's grieving pushing the pair apart? Everyone knew about how a woman close to Neal; like a mother to him, had died. But the strain had started after. Most of the young agents went with this theory, saying that it had taken time to really hit Neal. Some thought that maybe their boss had said something insensitive, which had sparked whatever this was.

More agents believed; even if they didn't say it, that the boss might have said something insensitive and offended Neal. It might not have been about Ellen as there were probably many things which offended ex-conmen; not that any of the agents had any idea what, and their boss could be thick sometimes.

Jones sometimes wondered if Neal's quest to redeem his father was the problem. Diana sometimes agreed with him; why else would Peter put time into trying to locate other blood relatives of Neal?, but she couldn't forget Peter's face when he opened that file nor could she shake the feeling that there was some other reason for all this.

And then Peter got hit by a car. And things seemed to return to normal.

* * *

And then Peter got shot. Callaway arrested James Bennett for the shooting; the man who everyone thought was Neal's father.

Callaway preened as she brought the man in and deposited him in the interrogation room. Agents gathered around or, if they were busy, walked by every now and then as the interrogation began.

No one was surprised to hear Bennett claim innocence. He claimed 'self-defence' for both shootings.

"What reason would Agent Burke have for shooting you?" Callaway asked.

Jones, who had returned from the hospital before this time, wondered if she was really looking for evidence against Peter. Cuffing another agent was difficult for most, but he had the feeling that Callaway would do anything for her career. And cuffing a corrupt agent would be a good boost to her career.

No one expected the response she got.

"Because the man holds a grudge against me," Bennett responded, his voice loud and steady, "I forged his son's birth certificate, put my name where his was."

No.

Everyone froze for a moment. It was a moment of complete denial. Each agent wondered how they could have missed it. How an office of agents missed it.

How did the FBI miss this? Surely they would have spotted a fake.

Jones looked around and saw the realisation on some of the other agents' faces as they put the pieces together. He knew the rest of them wouldn't be far behind.

Bennett only had one son on record. If that son was really Peter's, then it could only be...

"This doesn't leave here," Jones ordered, looking around until every agent had nodded their agreement.

In the interrogation room, Callaway continued her questions.

"Agent Burke knows you did this?"

Jones ordered one of the junior agents to take down what happened and left. He needed to make a call. Hughes had given both Diana and Jones his number after he left, with orders to keep him up to date. Jones knew that Diana had taken it on more than he had, this would be his first call.

He couldn't shake the feeling that this was what Hughes had expected.

"Agent Jones?" Despite retiring, Hughes' voice held all the authority it had during his time in the office.

"Sir, James Bennett just admitted to forging his son's; Neal's, birth certificate. He says Peter is the real father." God, it sounded like he was reciting the plot of some TV soap opera.

Hughes sighed into the phone.

"And where are Burke and Caffrey now?" he asked.

"They're both at the hospital, sir," Jones responded. It didn't sound like Hughes was surprised at all. Jones wondered if he had known all along. "Bennett shot Agent Burke and Neal is there giving support to his wife."

"I see. I will inform Caffrey; and Burke, if he's conscious. See if you can stall things there for a while."

"Sir?" Jones knew that everyone in the building would probably know soon; there was no way to keep this under wraps. How was he supposed to stall? And what were they going to do? This had the potential to ruin Peter's career. He had withheld information about a criminal in his custody and he had a reason to be bias.

Hughes answered one of his questions.

"I'm going to call Bancroft and he'll deal with the office fallout. There are some forms that Peter has which detail his relationship with Neal and the steps the FBI has taken to keep them honest. I believe Bancroft has access to a copy."

Jones wondered how many of the higher ups knew. It was a conspiracy, although he slightly understood the reasons for it.

He wondered if the little guy knew.

* * *

Jones was right. Despite his order for no one to speak about it, people still spoke about it and it still spread around. The office was in silent uproar with most of the agents stuck to their desks. The clacking of keys filled the air, but it wasn't reports they were filling out. Hands curled around phones under desks and frantic whispers accompanied people leaning over desks.

Diana found him first, ignoring the whispers that seemed prominent in the office.

"What happened?" she asked, glancing around. Her head didn't visibly move, but her eyes darted around.

"Neal's father is Peter, not Bennett," he said.

Diana blinked. Her jaw opened and closed a few times before she just shrugged.

"Anyone losing their job over this?" she asked.

Jones nodded up towards Callaway's office, where the blond woman was clearing out. Bancroft had reprimanded her for not getting the information from the higher ups and for revealing the relationship between Neal and Peter. Catching James Bennett didn't help, because Peter had gotten there first and been shot because she didn't have control over her people. She also let Pratt into a secure area, which was just the top of the long list of mistakes related to this case. It was either step down or suffer through an investigation into the relationship between her and Pratt.

"So far, it seems like Peter's job is okay, although he's off duty for the next month or two," Jones elaborated.

"Alright," Diana nodded, absorbing the information. She was glad to see Callaway go, although she worried about who they might put in the ASEC office next. "Care to tell me how any of this is possible?"

What followed was a pieced together story about how James had changed the birth certificate and Neal had grown up not knowing about his father, only finding out after joining the FBI as a consultant. There was a betting pool; which Jones hoped Peter didn't find out about, about whether Peter or Neal found out first.

Despite his loyalty to Peter, Jones had bet on Neal. The little guy was really good at finding things out and they had reason to look into Neal's father. Also, he didn't believe Neal wouldn't notice his birth certificate had been forged; the guy had a sixth-sense for telling forgeries.

Diana bet on Peter, keeping the knowledge about the file which had freaked Peter out close to her chest. She had a feeling she knew what upset her boss about it now.

* * *

Neal walked back into the office a week and two days later. Despite his perfect suit and favourite fedora, he was pale. Jones and Diana took turns watching over him and picking out cold cases for him to look at.

Neal didn't get much work done. He got lost in thought often and ended up sketching pencil versions of old masterpieces onto the reports.

Diana handed him a stack blank paper after he doodled a Da Vinci sketch onto the witness report.

Da Vinci sketch onto the witness report.

Neal was content to fiddle with that while everyone tried to work. Except for the agents assigned to the Pratt-Bennett case, no one was working hard.

"Does he even know?" Jones heard another agent whisper while looked over at Neal.

"Would suck if he didn't. Has anyone told him?"

Jones glared at both of them and sent the younger one to get him a file.

"He has a point," Diana said to Jones, "has anyone spoken to Neal about it?"

Jones scoffed a laugh and shook his head. Most of the agents were avoiding Neal's desk and only spoke to Neal when spoken to.

Not that Neal was speaking to anyone beyond a basic greeting and 'how are you?'. Neal was cautiously scanning the room, assessing each agent as they worked. For what, Jones didn't know, but he guessed that Neal was gauging everyone's reaction to Bennett's confession.

"He already knows," Jones responded, certain of that. Neal's reaction to Peter getting shot and the way he interacted with El suggested that he already knew.

"I thought so," Diana said with a nod. "And if he didn't, Hughes probably told him."

They glanced around the office with heavy hearts. It really hurt moral when an agent was injured in a bust, even more when that agent was Peter Burke.

In addition, the air was heavy with awkwardness. Jones had heard a few agents lamenting over how they had treated Neal over the past few years, nothing too bad but just snide little comments, believing his was guilty until proven innocent or sending him off for coffee runs when he just got back from one. The phrase, "The boss' son", had been passed around a few times and it made Jones feel a little ill.

Before Neal returned, Diana had already verbally berated the agents who used that phrase within her earshot.

* * *

It was almost unbearable after a few days. Neal did coffee run after coffee run, just to get out of the office. And if he took twice as long as he should have, no one was going to complain.

Neal was tapping his pen on the desk in a really distracting 'tap, tap, tappity-tap' beat that probably was the tune to some show tune or something. Agents kept glaring at him and grumbling about how they needed to work, but no one approached him.

Until Diana did. She grabbed his pen out of his hand and held it away from him.

"Stop that, Caffrey," she ordered, "it's really annoying."

"It's a habit," Neal said with a shrug. "I can't help it."

"If I break one or more of your fingers, will that stop it?"

"Nooo," Neal said in a drawn-out response that was tinged with playfulness.

She raised her eyebrow, not really believing him.

"Well, it will make it more difficult," she commented with a shrug. "So, stop. Or I'll break your fingers."

"Oppression of the artist, Lady Suit, and an abuse of power," Neal said in a Mozzie-like manner.

"Boo-hoo," she responded, not giving an inch. She leaned in. "I know it was you who switched my files with blank paper yesterday," she whispered.

Neal put on a hurt face. 'Who, me?' it practically screamed.

"Don't do it again."

Neal nodded.

* * *

When Diana arrived at the Burkes' house that evening, she got out and pulled out a briefcase with files in it for Peter. She had checked before leaving the parking lot that the files were still there, so there was no way Caffrey could have messed with them.

She was barely up the steps when she heard Peter bellow, "Neal!"

It brought a smile to her face as she knocked on the door.

"Quiet down!" El scolded as she opened the door. She breathed a sigh of relief at Diana.

"That bad?" Diana asked. Peter and Neal together were bad enough at times, but when Peter was injured and Neal wasn't, it was worse.

"Neal pulled one of the oldest cons in the book," El said with another sigh. "I told him he couldn't have any of the ice-cream in the freezer and he went and asked Peter."

Diana had to hold in laughter.

"I'm going to guess Peter said yes," she commented.

"Of course he did," El groaned, "because Neal also made him a bowl."

"What's going on?" Neal chose that moment to appear. "Hi, Diana. Want some ice-cream?"

"Neal!" El hissed, although she was grinning.

"I think I'd better get home," Diana said with a smile. There was no way she could intrude on this bubble of family time.

It wasn't until she was halfway home that she remembered the briefcase of files for Peter, which she had placed in the passenger seat. Once again, she had failed to sneak the work to Peter.

Well played, Caffrey.

* * *

"We need a new rumour," Neal joked the day after his fight with Peter, as he walked up to them and handed Diana a file. "I think I've solved this one, just need an agent to go over it."

Diana nodded and took the file cautiously. Once it was clear that it wasn't a distraction so that Neal could sabotage something, she began flipping through. Neal's notes were inside.

"I don't think my latest breakup will cut it," Jones joked, "it's not nearly as exciting as two people who work together secretly being related."

Neal's smile faltered for a moment.

"How about you Diana? Any juicy gossip we can distract the vultures with?" Jones asked. He looked down at her belly, which was bulging slightly. It looked like she had been overeating or something, perhaps a side-effect of the recent stress in the office. There was currently no one in Hughes' office, which left a giant gaping chasm in the bureaucracy of the office which increased the time it took to get through all the paperwork needed for a case. The little inconveniences it also caused just added to a mounting set of problems.

"Diana?" Neal questioned when she didn't respond. Instead she looked down and rubbed her bulging stomach. Neal saw this and asked, "pardon me if I'm wrong but, are you pregnant?"

Jones chocked. How was that possible? Diana was single and didn't sleep with men. He turned to her, wincing as he imagined the pain she would put Neal through for that comment but, she was smiling. And nodding.

"You're pregnant?" Jones asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled.

"That's right," Diana responded, "have been for a while. I thought about it for a long time and decided to go at it alone."

"Congratulations!" Neal said and then began asking baby-related questions as the rest of the office absorbed this information.

A few others came over and congratulated her and asked questions and rubbed her stomach. Others leant in and whispered to whoever was closest.

Jones just smiled and shook his head. As rumours go, this was a good one. He caught Neal's eye and the conman grinned at him.

* * *

**Author's notes: **This is it for this story. The last bit (with Diana's pregnancy), was a last minute addition. I wondered how she broke the news while Peter was away so I wrote that in.

Jones didn't get much of a chance to react to Neal and Peter being father and son; he had to start damage control. By the time he could react to it, he had already noticed that it didn't really change how he and Diana treated Neal.

Diana lost the bet (And just realising, I didn't add that part – assume they ask Neal later) and she wasn't happy about that. What was more shocking to her was that Neal spent years working with Peter and didn't have the slightest inclination to tell the man that they were related.

**Many thanks to all you brilliant people who reviewed! **

**You helped to keep this story going!**

Thanks to: Angusina, ANon, MaraJade, Guest (Nov 20), anon, Guest (on Oct 31) & Guest (on Oct 31), who all reviewed anonymously.

**What's next: **No idea. Maybe another prompt or one-shot. I know I want to do a White Collar/Chuck crossover, maybe I'll see about getting that started soon.


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